Drunken Misdeeds
by MasterYodaOfYaoi
Summary: Secrets spill once someone's had enough to drink. But can Merlin handle the truth his friend has been hiding all this time? Or better yet, will he be allowed to say no?
1. Drunken Misdeeds

This show is just... -gushes- Everybody loves Merlin, I just know it!

Anyways, happy holidays~!

**-ooo-**

Merlin had watched the knights revel in their ale and stories, wishing he could enjoy the festivities. But it was a party to celebrate the knights' bravery, not the bravery of the servant of the King of Camelot. No, he was doomed to refilling their goblets and ensuring all was well for them.

"Merlin! Merlin!" Arthur bellowed from his seat, drawing out the vowels the second time. His servant rolled his eyes, noting the drunken sort of tone, and obediently strode over to the young king. The royal gestured to his side where a nearly passed out Gwaine was smacking the table for more drink.

"Yessir," he sighed, "I'll get him another cupful." Yet, a hand was held up and the blond shook his head.

"No, I think our friend here has had enough. Take him to his room, Merlin," he ordered. The warlock regarded his intoxicated friend but gave a weary nod. He turned and walked around to Gwaine's side.

"C'mon Gwaine." He lifted the man from his seat.

"That's Sir Gwaine to you!" the drunkard grumbled as he was led out of the room. His sober friend smiled, amused by this. Lancelot had told him that out of all of them, Merlin deserved a knighthood the most; he was the bravest of them all, surely.

Yet, it was everyone but him that got the title of nobility. It didn't matter much to him in the end, though. He knew he could take out any man with his magic – even the Arthur Pendragon. Not that he would, of course. He wouldn't mess with his friend, and especially not his destiny.

"Merlin, what do you think?" The question broke him from his thoughts and it took him a moment to process that Gwaine had been talking.

"Sorry," he mumbled, "What?" The knight heaved an exasperated sigh, beginning to drag his feet.

"Geez, some friend you are! I was asking if I should go for that blonde servant girl, since she was watching me every so often. It's either her or the barmaid down at the tavern. So which one, Merlin?"

"Why are you so loose with women, Gwaine?" He hadn't meant to say it aloud, but the words had slipped past the filter for his mouth; there were certain thigns that should not be said, ever.

"Because I don't like them," he replied without skipping a beat. Merlin frowned, glancing down at his slumped friend before looking back up. He would have to climb the next few sets of stairs to the man's room. And, of course, he'd likely just opened a can of worms.

"If you don't…then why do you do all the womanizing? How can you pretend to like someone that you don't so often?"

"Why do you think I drink so often?" he grumbled, stumbling slightly on the steps. Merlin couldn't help but laugh at that. Even drunk, the knight could bring a smile to his face.

"So…what, do you just want a quality girl or something?" he retorted, "But you mess around until you find her?" It was a bit clichéd, to say the least.

"Don't be a jerk, Merlin….I can't have quality, so I settle for what I can get."

"Well why not?"

"Excuse me?"

"You're a good guy, Gwaine. I'm sure you can find someone just as good."

"…you think so?" the knight looked to his friend, who had long finished the stairs and was now headed down a hallway with his companion in tow. Merlin offered his usual dorky smile in reply.

"Definitely…bet you've already got someone in mind, huh?" It was meant as a joke, but he was surprised to see a sluggish nod from the man. He'd never really seen Gwaine act like – well, like Arthur – when it came to the ladies. He'd always flirt, even if he wasn't serious about getting into her good graces.

"Well, sort of. I know what I want, at least," he conceded, not sure if he wanted the warlock to know the truth. Merlin nodded; that seemed to make more sense to him. Looking ahead, he saw that Gwaine's room was near the end of the hall. He would have to drop him off quickly to get back to the party – even then, Arthur would complain about him taking too long.

"And what's that?" the servant boy asked, his attention trained on walking rather than fully listening.

"I want someone dependable, someone I can trust. Uh…oh, I want them to look good, of course. They definitely need to be kind and caring, can't have some evil thing in my bed. There has to be something special about them, like if they have a mysterious sort of feel about them…or they could just be the only one of their type that I like. Yeah, something like that. And when they need saving – er, if they need saving, I should be willing to help them in any way I can, no matter the cost. The same goes for them, too. Anything for who you love, you know," he finished with a satisfied look.

"Wow…that's a tall order," the warlock commented, surprised that his friend could be so coherent and so inebriated at the same time.

'Not really," Gwaine shrugged as his expression became a mused one, "Actually, it sounds just like you, Merlin." Suddenly, the world froze. Blue eyes were staring at the man in bewilderment, trying to comprehend what had just been said.

"Funny," he laughed lightly, nervously. Any ideas of it being a joke were thrown out the window when Gwaine stepped away from him. He stood straight, serious enough that he no longer needed Merlin as a crutch.

"No, it isn't. I've wanted you for a while, Merlin. Years, even before Arthur became king. I realized it for the most part back when we saved Arthur from the Perilous Lands."

"Gwaine, I think you've had enough to drink. M-maybe some sleep will put you back in your right mind," the other man murmured, unable to believe this was rightly happening. Men liking men was preposterous. Surely his friend only suffered from a drunken stupor. He stepped past him and paced to the knight's door quickly. Too busy fumbling with the keys and trying to unlock the door, Merlin didn't notice the approaching figure until arms slammed on the door frame to either side of him. He turned slowly, panicked to see Gwaine staring at him with an intensity he'd never seen before.

"I am in my right mind, Merlin. Everything about this, about wanting you seems right," he breathed, moving a bit closer.

"But…I'm not a girl," he argued. The man only came closer.

"I know, and it used to bother me. But now I want to hold you close to me, feel your chest against mine, hearts pounding…" He trailed off once he was pressed completely against the warlock. His eyes closed as he took in the warmth of his affection's body, felt the nervous heartbeat nearly match his own anxious one.

"Gwaine," he mumbled, "You really need to cut this-" A finger shushed him. With one hand moved, he could have escaped that way. But the look he was receiving left him paralyzed. He wasn't sure if it was right even for women to be looked at like that, much less for someone like himself.

"Sh, Merlin. Just…stay still," he pleaded quietly before moving his hand to cup the servant's cheek. Merlin watched, frozen still, as his head came closer and closer until lips were pressed to his slightly gaped mouth. The kiss was gentle despite the passion that led to it. Gwaine tilted his friend's head to work with a better angle, in hopes of gaining a proper reaction. Yet, the warlock remained stoic – though he couldn't help but notice how warm and soft the knight's mouth was in contrast to the slight scratch of his whiskers. The man ended up pilling away, slowly as if any quick movements would spook the boy. That was right, Merlin had forgotten to outright resist.

"…let's…let's get you to bed." He turned, unlocked the door and strode inside. With that out of his drunken system, Gwaine would be back to normal. Or so he thought when he stopped at the foot of the bed. He turned, prepared to help his friend het settled under his blankets for the night.

He was not prepared for the strong arms that hoisted him up and tossed him on the mattress. Merlin tried to scramble away, but the knight grabbed his ankles as he climbed on as well. The servant was now paralyzed by the fear of what was to come – and how he would explain his tardiness to Arthur, though that would come later. Right now, his legs were being forcibly spread so that Gwaine could come up between them. His hips pressed against the more narrow pair while he used his hands to hover over the obviously panicked form.

"Relax, Merlin. I won't hurt you," he assured, "Just let me show you." Before the young warlock could question, a harsh kiss silenced him. This one was far more intense than the last. It felt as if he would catch fire from the passion burning against him, but it was only getting hotter. A tongue ran along his bottom lip, asking for entrance. Merlin refused to grant it, refused to react to whatever one would call this.

Gwaine then chose to demand passage by shoving his tongue past the servant's somewhat lax lips. The muscle expertly flicked around in exploration before settling down to grinding against the virgin tongue. Which was true, though he would never admit it.

Dominating hips began to mimic their mouths, rolling against something slightly more responsive. Perhaps it was the obviously thick bulge or the teasing friction it brought with the movement, but Merlin could feel a strange sort of excitement growing.

Suddenly, the knight pulled away, though his hips continued on. He watched, somewhat amused as the other man fought to hide the side effects of his pleasure. Then Gwaine had an idea. With a smirk, he pulled back to pause for a short moment before slamming his yearning groin against the warlock. Merlin couldn't stop himself when a gasp sounded from his lips.

"So there's your weakness?" he teased, "That's what you want." As he set to undoing the servant's pants, the "victim" rushed up the bed in an attempt to escape. But the movement only aided the man, bringing him closer to his affection's crotch. He quickly pushed the fabric of his trousers aside, revealing the nearly full erection. His hand set to stroking it, pumping quickly. Merlin moaned outright, clawing at the pillows. This was wrong, he knew, on some unmentionable level.

"Stop," he begged, "Just stop..."

"You sure? Because it looks like you want me to keep going." His hand did stop its movement, however, so that his index finger could circle around the head of his cock. Blue eyes shut tight as their owner bit down on his lip for silence. He wasn't sure what was going on, but worse than that, he wasn't sure how much longer he could resist it.

"Here, let me try this. A woman did this to me once…" Gwaine suddenly moved so that his face was right by the warlock's now rigid length. There was a final rub before he leaned close enough to lick hesitantly at the tip. Merlin's eyes shot open, wide as they stared down at the man. The brunette made no effort to stop. Instead he licked it once, twice more before taking the head into his mouth. Hips bucked upward as the servant gasped; this was unbelievable, that his sex was enveloped in the warmth of Sir Gwaine's mouth.

"Mm," the knight pulled away with a smile, "It's not bad, Merlin. You want to try it?" The offer was only partially genuine as he glanced down at his own aching erection. His affection was still surprised, he could tell, so there would be nothing returned.

"That's alright. Maybe next time," he soothed before dipping his head back down. This dive took more than the head; he miraculously took in at least half of the man's shaft. Merlin's hips shot up from the bed again, causing his friend to gag. His blue eyes looked guilty. Even if this wasn't what he wanted, he would never want to harm Gwaine, his dear friend. Yet, the knight managed to relax his throat and raise his head a ways, just enough so that he was only teasing the first inch or so.

"I'm sorry…Gwaine, I didn't-" His breath hitched as his friend hummed a forgiving response. He let his breath out in a sigh while the brunette's mouth dropped further and further down until his nose pressed against the warlock's flesh. Then, he began to repeat the action in a hurried movement of his head. Sapphire hues squeezed shut, never having felt this pleasure before.

Unlike Gwaine and his "misadventures," the servant had never done anything save for that kiss with Freya and now everything that had transpired. The fire that licked at his body and heart was whelming, almost too much so for such a novice.

His friend could tell, easily, that this was a first for Merlin. Perhaps it was the innocent reactions or the pre-cum tingling his taste buds, but he knew that the man would reach his climax soon. His head began to move slightly faster, the sound of his sucking and slurping growing louder in Merlin's ears – though it was nearly drowned out by the thudding of his heart. He wasn't sure if he could last long with the way Gwaine was lavishing his attention onto him.

"G-Gwaine, I…not much longer…" A hand finally released the pillow and shot down to bury itself in brunette locks, keeping the bobbing head down at the base of his erection. The knight hummed a sound of approval, his tongue rolling as much as it could along the throbbing cock.

His friend then gasped, followed by a hissed groan, as his body spilled over the edge of his pleasure. Hot seed quickly filled the man's mouth, as he was unable to keep up with the spurts. He pulled away with a smirk, trying to catch up with the servant's orgasm. With lust-laden eyes, Merlin finally looked down and saw the man was staring right back at him, apparently uncaring of the mess getting caught in his whiskers. The warlock was sure the sight was supposed to disturb him, but – perhaps because of the dull pleasure that still remained – all he wanted was to kiss the knight once more.

"Gwaine," he murmured, reaching down to cup the man's face in his hands. He obediently followed his affection's guiding to the slightly parted lips he'd kissed only twice before. As they kissed, neither man could tell whether the other was serious.

And in the morning only one man would remember, but he would keep everything that had happened a secret. Yes, Merlin would keep their drunken misdeeds right next to his own magical, deadly truth.


	2. The Hangover

So I ended up making a second part, but it went on too long so there'll be a third part as well and then it should be more or less finished.

I hope you guys enjoy this~

**-ooo-**

"Merlin, do you have a minute?" Gwaine called, grinning and waving in an attempt to catch his friend's attention. Blue eyes quickly turned to him and the familiar skip of his heart accompanied by the lump in his throat found themselves in the young warlock.

"Ah, no…Arthur asked me to get him something to eat," he replied, "Sorry, maybe some other time."

"Sure. When you're done you can bring me a snack too," the knight laughed, expecting a smile from his friend in return. Instead, Merlin forced his expression to turn apologetic and prayed that he could lie effectively, just this once.

"After this, I have to muck out the stables again and then take his sword down to the blacksmith and…Arthur's got me working all day." This made Gwaine frown.

"Oh, then I guess I'll see you later. Work hard," he managed a slightly smile until the servant turned around and paced quickly down the hall. His frown returned; Merlin had been extremely busy for the past week. There weren't any battles or anything overly important, so Arthur had no reason to be working his friend so hard. For Merlin's sake, Gwaine decided he should confront the king.

Besides, he enjoyed hanging out with his friend, admittedly a little more than a friend should like. But no matter how obvious his flirtations were, he would never outright admit it to the man.

So, he headed towards the throne room, stopping by the kitchen to grab that quick snack he'd been wanting, and strolled in. Arthur was currently talking with some elderly men – not that he knew who they were, or that he cared. The king caught him out of his periphery, haphazardly looking up to fully view his knight.

"Your Highness, can I have a word in private?" he asked, looking completely casual as he requested this of his ruler. Though the strangers murmured amongst themselves, Arthur dismissed them without hardly a care. Gwaine watched them leave, looking like anything but a knight of Camelot – rolling back and forth on his heels, lips pursed slightly, eyes wandering. Arthur stood up from his throne, stretching.

"Sitting in that chair's going to be the death of me," he groaned, "Maybe I'll get Merlin to add some cushioning…"

"About Merlin. I think you've been working him too much, Arthur."

"Excuse me?" The royal's brows knitted together in confusion.

"Merlin's always been off doing something or other for you this week. Did he do something wrong or are you just messing with him?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't seen him since this morning when he brought me my breakfast. Although…I suppose something was bothering him, since he seemed sort of off…but I figured someone had tried to ask him a math question or something." It did bother Gwaine that Arthur would sit there and berate Merlin's intelligence, demeaning him down to some kind of simpleton. The knight knew his friend was smart, knew there was more to the man that he ever let on. He just wished Arthur could see it too.

Then again, he had a feeling that would to more competition. And he was sure if Arthur wanted something, _anything_, Merlin was probably willing to do it. That bothered him much more than Arthur's insults for his servant.

"Well he said he's been busy all the time lately, so I figured…"

"Oh don't mind that. He's probably down at the tavern," Arthur walked around the table, making small sounds of relief as he stretched his legs out.

"No, Merlin's not much of a drinker," Gwaine interjected. The king laughed, heartily so, at the other man.

"Isn't he? Oh Gwaine, I think you don't know Merlin quite like I do," he commented before patting his friend on the shoulder. This puzzled the brunette. He thought he had known Merlin so well, better than Arthur would ever take the time to know. Yet, here he was claiming to know the servant more than – essentially – anyone else. It couldn't be…

"Arthur?"

"Yes?"

"Do you…Are you…sleeping with Merlin?" The royal spun around, wide-eyed and obviously insulted.

"What?"

"Well I only thought…I'm sure he thinks the world of you and…you spend so much time together and you seem so close, so I just thought that maybe you two were together." His explanation seemed logical in his mind, but he could easily tell that Arthur was in fact not sleeping with his only servant. And, for a reason only he knew, this comforted Gwaine's mind greatly.

"No, we aren't…That's disgusting," he spluttered, "How could you even think that? God, he's not even a woman!"

"He's kind of like a woman…" The knight had let this slip past his lips. He'd noticed that the man's smile was as sweet as any maiden – and he wouldn't be surprised if his lips were he same.

"Just because he can't fight and he's as fearless as a kitten doesn't mean he's a woman, Gwaine," Arthur chastised, "But it puts him pretty close." He laughed, obviously thinking it was a joke. To preserve his reputation as a womanizer, the brunette laughed in response. The king again patted his shoulder before strolling back to his throne.

"So don't worry about Merlin; he's probably just down at the tavern again." His words and smile was assuring, but Gwaine remained where he was standing. Arthur waited for him to make some sort of comment, but he simply stood there.

"…is there anything else?" he prompted. The other man looked up, snapped from his thoughts, and his thoughtful expression melted into an apologetic smile.

"No…thanks for your time, Arthur."

"Any time," the blond replied, though mostly to be polite. Still, his knight bowed his head slightly before turning on his heel. He walked out, his mind jumping to all sorts of conclusions. Merlin was not the type to drink, but what else would lead Arthur to believe that he was at the tavern? He had never seen the man drunk, but was sure the servant would act as giddy as a young girl. With that realization, he decided he would need to see him drunk because there was that much of a possibility that he could at least press a few kisses to those almost always smiling lips.

But then the thought crossed his mind that perhaps Merlin wasn't at the tavern. Where else could he be? What else could he be doing when he wasn't serving Arthur's every last wish?

The possibilities were racing across his mind, distracting him for the most part from where he was going. So when he rounded a corner and a body slammed into his own, it took a second for him to be brought back to his senses. When he did, however, he was pleasantly surprised.

"Are you alright?" Merlin questioned, trying to help his friend to his feet, "I'm sorry, I should have been looking where I was going." Gwaine shook his head, smiling slightly as the other man tried to apologize.

"I'm fine, don't worry. It takes more than a little tumble to mess with a knight of Camelot," he joked. The warlock gave him a sweet smile in return, one that he hadn't used for a while, not since that night…But the knight had no way of knowing that, and was simply glad the man seemed to be at ease again. Except Merlin seemed to realize what he was doing, and his smile faltered into one that seemed forced.

"I, I have to go," he admitted.

"Arthur's still got you running errands?" He said this, knowing he would catch the servant in a lie.

"All day," he agreed before moving past him.

"Liar." Merlin stopped and began to turn.

"Wha-" Gwaine took him by the shoulders and pressed him to the wall. Already, the warlock's heart was accelerating and when the knight leaned closer, he was afraid it would simply burst right then and there. All he could think of was the last time he'd been that close, how warm his lips were, how talented he was with his mouth, that indefinable pleasure…

"Merlin."

"Yes?" he breathed, afraid that the knight would repeat his actions – but this time he was undoubtedly sober.

"…you haven't been at the tavern," he released his friend with a slight smile. There wasn't a hint of alcohol on his breath. So he at least knew Merlin better than Arthur. But now the remaining question was: why had Merlin lied to them? What was he hiding?

"Of course I haven't," he agreed with an incredulous sort of undertone. He fixed his clothes, though they needed no fixing, as Gwaine stepped away.

"Well Arthur thinks you have been. And another thing, if you haven't been at the tavern, and you haven't been waiting on him, then where have you been off to all this time?" The warlock panicked for a second, unable to think of a reasonable lie. His panic was misunderstood, much to his luck, and Gwaine shoved a grin across his lips.

"Relax, Merlin. It's nice that you've got a girl," he assured, "And don't worry, your secret's safe with me." His calm reaction surprised Merlin, even if the guess was completely off the mark. The young man knew how his friend felt, and knew the happiness had to be faked – at least to some extent. And that dawning made him ache, made his heart heavy with guilt. He wanted to admit there was no one, perhaps even tell the brunette what he had done.

But he kept his mouth shut. Gwaine walked away, his chest uncomfortable in its jealousy, leaving Merlin and his secrets in the hall. He should have known. With a beautiful face like that and such a sweet personality, why wouldn't he have a girlfriend?

Yet, the servant was now wondering why he had wanted to soothe the knight, why he had reacted so hotly to the proximity.

"Merlin!" Arthur bellowed. No, there was no time to wonder. He would push it from his mind for the moment. The man found himself – for the first time – hoping that Arthur had a long list of chores for him to do. When he scurried into the throne room though, that was far from what the king had in mind.

"Sit down," he commanded, pointing to the chair nearest him at the empty table. Merlin did as he was told.

"Yes sire?"

"Merlin, you've been acting strange lately…stranger than usual. As your king, I should have you put in the stocks for your absence," he paused, enjoying the exasperated look on his servant's face, "But as your friend, I want to know what's wrong." This surprised Merlin. His supposed friend always seemed to make him work and never cared for how he was feeling, unless it would distract him form killing an enemy or something of equal importance.

"I-I'm fine," he lied with a goofy smile. With an unwavering expression of concern, the king assured him he was not to be fooled lightly.

"Merlin, if you don't tell me, I will have you put in the stocks." Yes, there was the friend the warlock had become so accustomed to. He looked slightly relieved, but he knew now that his façade could be seen through. The man would have to fix that, so Gwaine never caught on to him – or his ridiculously fleeting heart, for that matter.

"…is it about Gwaine?" he guessed, and from the way Merlin's blue hues widened, he was correct. The servant swallowed harshly; since when had Arthur been good at knowing anything about him?

"He came in here earlier. He asked why I'd been working you so hard, but I told him that was a lie and you were likely at the tavern. But then…he asked if we were sleeping together…" he trailed off, still miffed that the knight would dare suggest such a thing. Yet, before he could continue, Merlin jumped to his feet with his expression of surprise morphed into one of worry.

"You told him no, right?" he demanded.

"Yes, of-"

"Outright? You told him we weren't together just like that?" he persisted. Arthur looked more confused, and suspicious, as the conversation progressed.

"Not in so many words, no. But he seemed upset when he thought we were, and when I told him no, he seemed fairly relieved…Merlin, what's going on?" The warlock then realized his outburst, realized how suspicious this looked, and regretted his actions almost immediately. He shouldn't have involved Arthur in this mess, but perhaps the royal could provide some insight into what he could do. The blond always trusted his manservant's opinion, even if he didn't let on, so it was likely high time Merlin shared something with him.

"Arthur, promise you will tell no one?"

"Tell what?"

"I'll tell you what's going on, but you must swear to keep it a secret," he began, moving to sit down in his chair.

"…alright, I'll take it to my grave, Merlin. I swear." Magical eyes regarded him, uncertain, but eventually accepted the statement and he began his story, trying not to wring his hands in his nervous state.

"You know that night…where you told me to take Gwaine to his room because he was drunk?" he paused, unable to look at the king as he spoke, "Well…something happened. I, I can't explain it…but I didn't know what to do and then he just…did it." He lifted his gaze to his friend, hoping that was enough. Going by the confused expression across his face, however, he realized it was far from done.

"Merlin, just say it outright. Did he ask you a complicated question? Did he ask you what two plus six is?"

"This isn't a joke, Arthur!" Merlin whined.

"Then stop acting like a child and just tell me."

"…you know how there are certain things you do with women? Things you're only supposed to do with women? Well…I thought you could only do them with women, but…but Gwaine, he…he did something to me." His heart sped up at the thought, at the memory of the knight's hot mouth…

"Merlin, what are you saying?" The king's voice was grave, and he was desperate to confirm whether what he heard was correct or not.

"He sucked my…you know," the warlock muttered as a blush dusted his cheeks. Arthur's eyes widened, the truth sinking in. This had never been done before. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to react, or even if what Gwaine had done was forbidden or not.

"How could he…why did he do that?" he demanded.

"He said he loved me," Merlin sighed, finally giving in to the urge to wring his fingers, "But he was drunk, and he doesn't remember it anymore. Any of it."

"Then what's the problem? Just pretend like it never happened," his friend replied, thinking he had just solved all of his problems. Yet, the servant looked down to his fidgeting hands, his blush still evident. There were no words spoken, but the king certainly knew what the man was implying.

"Ah…so that's how it is." He stood up after he said that – which he hoped had sounded fairly suave enough to buy him a few seconds more of thought. Merlin had helped him on countless occasions, so perhaps he could regurgitate some of the man's few wise sayings.

"Merlin, you've said a few wise things in your time," he began, "And now it's my turn to tell you…follow your heart. It may not be…quite the situation I was in, but you get it. Make your decision, and as your friend, I will support it." He was sure that sounded kingly, and with a firm grip on the servant's shoulder and a reassuring smile, he decided that he had played his part.

"Thank you," Merlin murmured. It was surprising for Arthur to be so kind and unselfish, but the young warlock would not take it for granted. He would follow his heart, as the blond had told him to.

But the question was: what did his heart say?


	3. Sober Misdeeds

Here's the final chapter. I hope you enjoyed.

And just because I loved your "threat" to pieces, Sand Assassin I hope you are appeased and will leave my poor socks in peace!

**-ooo-**

"Here you are, Gwaine," Merlin piped as he set the plate down in front of the knight. The brunette offered him a small smile, having become used to his presence. For the past few weeks, after ignoring him for a while, the servant now spent every other waking moment with him. Arthur had allowed it, for some odd reason; in fact, every time he caught his servant fussing over Gwaine, he would wear a mischievous smile before walking away.

"Thanks," he murmured, "It looks great." His friend looked pleased with this and simply stood to the side.

"I'm glad. Do you need anything else?"

"Uh…no, I really appreciate all this but…I think you've covered everything, Merlin." He turned to look up at the face he'd fallen for all that time ago, and was surprised to see the returned expression.

"Then I guess…I guess I'll leave you," he said, toying with the now empty serving plate in his hands. The warlock stood there for a moment, perhaps two, before he finally strolled toward the door. Gwaine had already taken a few bites of the food, and was making sounds of approval to Merlin's back.

"Mm, Merlin. You should try this," he worded around a mouthful of food. The servant paused, but didn't turn around.

"I have other duties to attend to, Gwaine," he retorted, though his response wasn't nearly as sarcastic as the knight had expected it. He thought about insisting on him staying, but knew better. He was the personal servant to the king, of course.

"Then I'll see you later," he said, offering the warlock a charming smile. For that, he turned. For a second, for a heartbeat, the world seemed to stop. The man had always had a particular effect on him, but before recently it had only been calming. No matter what the situation, Gwaine would smile at him and all his troubles would melt away. There would be nothing left but their friendship and the fact that they had complete trust in the other.

Now though, after what they had done, an entirely new feeling flooded his body. It was warm and reminded him of the sensation of Gwaine's body against his own.

"Yeah," he muttered while grinning back at the knight. He then walked out of the room, his speed turning to a scurry as he rushed to Arthur's side. Little did he know, the other man was still watching the door, willing his friend to return and grant him with that smile again.

Merlin did no such thing, but rather entered the throne room. He closed the doors behind him, noticing that Arthur wasn't in sight. The brunette leaned against the oaken entrance while he sighed. More than anything, he wanted to be with Gwaine, to relive what they had experienced, to possibly enjoy a life with the knight – if that was even possible. But even though he had started it, Gwaine couldn't remember what he'd done.

And what could he do about it? He couldn't contain himself forever, didn't want to carry that burden on top of his own.

"Visiting with Gwaine, I suppose?" a voice called. He looked and saw Arthur standing behind his throne, smirking at the other man. Merlin frowned.

"What? No, that's…sire, what are you doing there?" he countered, crossing his arms. The king looked as if a blow had been struck. He would not answer, though. How could he admit to playing with his crown and dropping the darned thing behind him? It was unkingly, undignified, and inexcusable.

"That is no concern of yours, Merlin. And don't lie to your king."

"What are you going to do? Throw me in the dungeon?" he mocked in return. Arthur walked around to the front of his throne.

"No," he said, "You're just a terrible liar. Now, what happened?" The warlock watched his king sit down, looking as concerned as he could manage. The brunette dropped himself into a chair at the long table, emitting a sigh.

"He still doesn't remember what happened that night," he admitted, "But I know he still has those feelings for me-"

"And you for him."

"…well, yes. But I don't know what to do. Should I tell him what happened or…what do people even do in this situation?" he wondered, showing his exasperation. He hardly ever asked Arthur for advice, though it was quickly becoming a bad habit of his. The king seemed to contemplate his friend's trouble for a moment, stroking his chin in what he hoped to be a wisely manner.

"You can try to tell him what happened…but perhaps you should tell him how you feel," he said, "Yes, that's exactly what you should do. That way, you can't lose. He'll simply confess right back to you." Merlin regarded him cautiously – not that he doubted his king's advice, but that he wasn't sure how to do that. But if he asked that, Arthur would probably laugh at him. So he would have to figure out the rest for himself.

"Thank you, Arthur." He stood from his seat, ideas already running through his mind. The king's expression brightened into something jovial.

"Any time, Merlin. Glad I could help," he chirped. It was nice to feel useful – of course, he was king so he was extremely important, but his manservant hardly ever asked for his help, though he had saved him in countless occasions. Come to think of it, he was a little too useful. There was no way the brunette could survive without him if he kept codling the man.

"Oh, and Merlin?" At the sound of his name, he spun around.

"Yes?"

"…my floors still need scrubbing and my armor needs polishing." Merlin grinned, surprising the both of them.

"Yes, sire. I'll do that now," he assured before leaving the throne room and a pleased Arthur Pendragon. If being with Gwaine made his friend an obedient servant, then he certainly approved of whatever was going to happen between the two.

Meanwhile, Merlin set to his daily chores; if he wanted to spend time with Gwaine, then he would have to ensure he didn't slack in his duties. They did, however, create a problem of their own. All day, he was too busy to try and catch up with the knight. When his tasks were finished, it took him the better part of the evening to find his love interest. He was about to give up for the day when he rounded a corner and caught sight of the man himself.

"Gwaine, I'm glad I caught you!" the warlock breathed as he jogged down the hall. He had hoped to find him by his room in case things became similar to their other "encounter," but the knight had been training all day and outside the weapons room as Merlin's best option. He just hoped they could stick to words and refrain from the more physical parts – at least, for the moment.

"I'm glad you caught me too," he replied without a moment's thought. He ran a hand through his hair, wishing he could have washed up before seeing the servant. Merlin, of course, had seen sweating men and had been unaffected by them for years now, but Gwaine still liked to keep up his appearance for the warlock – just in case he ever noticed.

"Really?" Merlin's smile didn't falter, but rather widened slightly, "Why?"

"Oh, I…" he hadn't expected such a blatantly excited reaction; it took him a moment to respond, "I always like talking with you, I suppose." That was it. If Merlin had approached him with even an inkling of indecision, he knew now that he had to tell the knight.

"Me too, Gwaine. I…" One of the other knights came walking by, offering a polite greeting to Gwaine. He replied with a small smile and a nod of the head. Once they passed, the knight returned his attention to the warlock. Merlin thought it would be easier if they did this in private, especially since he was sure it was against some sort of code to be with another man. This would have bothered anyone else, but Merlin was too well-versed in breaking the law of the lands.

"Yes?" the older man prompted.

"A-actually…could we talk somewhere private?" he requested with a slightly nervous expression. Gwaine barely hesitated before pushing open the door to the weapons room.

"I was the last one out there today, so it should be empty. Except maybe some ghosts," he said this, teasing. Merlin caught himself hoping it was at least friendly. After all he'd been through, ghosts would hardly surprise him. He paced into the room, waiting until the door was shut behind the both of them to speak.

"Gwaine…do you…do you remember the feast held a few weeks ago? You drank too much and Arthur had me escort you to your room?" Merlin sat down on one of the benches, hoping he had the courage to go through with this. Though the sudden turn in conversation confused him, the knight hid it well beneath his customary smile.

"Yes," he replied, "And you tucked me into bed. I don't know what you did, but I haven't slept that well in years." It was true, and he was sure Merlin deserved praise for his efforts every now and then. The warlock laughed, though it was broken enough to seem forced.

"It wasn't anything I did, Gwaine. You don't remember, but…you took me into your room that night and you…we…" This wasn't how he had planned on saying this, but it tumbled out anyway, "Gwaine, y-you kissed me and you did so much more-"

"Merlin, I-"

"-and I was so confused at first, but now I get it-"

"Merlin."

"Gwaine, I want you. I…I like you…I might even love-"

"Stop!" he barked. The servant froze, never having been yelled at by his friend before. With wide eyes, he looked towards him only to see his back. He was afraid to speak again, but he was equally afraid that the man would say nothing and would just walk away. Yet, Gwaine made no move. He simply stood there, facing away from the warlock, unbelieving of what was happening.

"Who put you up to this?" he muttered.

"No one did, I-"

"Don't lie to me," the knight threatened, his hand automatically moving towards the hilt of his blade. Merlin shot to his feet, fists clenched.

"I'm not lying, I swear! No one told me to do this, Gwaine! You…you did things to me…and I don't know what to do about it!" he admitted not only to the knight but to himself. He had come to him with a plan; now though, his mind was racing a mile a minute and he couldn't get it to stop. The servant had expected this to go smoothly, without a hitch of any sort. Instead, it was taking a turn for the worst.

"If you're telling the truth – and let's just say you are – then why bother telling me? What did it matter?"

"It matters a great deal, Gwaine."

"Didn't to me," he scoffed, though he still couldn't recall what had happened that night.

"You liar!" he called, "You said you loved me!" Suddenly, Gwaine turned around and his eyes were burning fiercely into blue hues. He took a few steps closer, his attitude completely different than his usual friendly, flirtatious self.

"This isn't funny, Merlin," he murmured, surprised when the servant closed the last of the distance between them. He then tried to control himself, anger as well as elation, as the servant pressed a few chaste kisses along his jaw down to his neck, then his shoulder.

"No, it isn't…I'm sorry I couldn't notice…but when you told me how you felt…and when you showed me," he began, his body now pressed against the other man's. His nerves were beginning to drive him crazy, assuring him that his advances were foolish and he was just making an idiot of himself. But he had to continue, had to show the knight that he was willing to go this far with him, that he wanted him enough to do this sober.

"Merlin, we never…I would never have done that to you," he spoke gently, his intimidating act now a lost cause. The warlock slipped a hand down to cup his friend's already stirring groin.

"I wouldn't have done this if I wasn't sure. You were drunk, Gwaine, but I remember…the way you treated me, that love…" He dropped to his knees, his fingers deftly undoing the man's britches. His words weren't helping, but perhaps he could show the knight. Merlin could show the pleasure he had felt those weeks ago. The servant was met with a half-filled erection, finally, and tentatively wrapped his fingers around the base. Fear was coiling itself around his stomach while anxiety sent jolts of electricity through his body. Despite this, the younger man struck his tongue out against the hot, salty flesh.

"M-Merlin, stop," Gwaine moaned. There was obviously something wrong with the servant; he wouldn't normally do this, not of his own accord. But the warlock simply continued, licking along the already erect shaft slowly. He didn't want to rush it, wanted everything to be perfect. Not to mention that he loved the knight's tortured expression. As he stared up at that irresistible face, the man's eyes locked with his.

In that instant, he wanted to shower Gwaine with kisses, hold him close in his arms, laugh at his flirtations, and to make him feel that blessed pleasure he had felt weeks ago. As he could only one, and his mouth being where it was, the latter of the options seemed to be first. He changed his licks to kisses, leading them up to the tip. He placed a few exploratory kisses before licking along the slit, just as Gwaine had done to him.

"I know….you don't believe me," he breathed, "But let me do this for you." His mouth then descended on the erection. He sank further and further until it nearly made him gag. No matter how much of Gaius's food he ate, he would always have an excellent gag-reflex. To mark how far he could go, he wrapped his fingers around the erection and began to bob along as much as he could.

Gwaine was currently conflicted with himself. While he was enjoying the mouth of his beloved, he doubted there was any way Merlin was in his right mind. But the servant was persistent and it was hard to fight it while he was getting sucked off.

"Your tongue…use your tongue," he muttered. The warlock did as he was told, glad that the knight had finally accepted the situation.

As he pleasured him, Merlin's own body began to react until his erection strained against his pants for attention. His unused hand slid towards his crotch, tugging his trousers down enough to free the cock. Then, as he gave Gwaine the best blowjob he could manage, he began to stroke himself – though it quickly turned to pumping. After a moment or so, the servant started to moan against his friend's shaft, resulting in responding moan from him. He could hardly notice the extra pleasure it caused him, as he was all too quickly nearing his own release. Merlin was vaguely aware of the man's grunts, of his hand buried in his dark hair, of the eyes that drank in this sight hungrily…

"I'm…Merlin, I'm…I can't last…" he panted, his eyes fluttering closed. The muffled sound that replied made him look down again to what he supposed could be called his lover. He saw the warlock's state, saw the pre-cum drooling from his tip and onto the floor. Yet, while he remained fixated on this, a sound from elsewhere in the room caught him off guard. The knight turned to the sound, hoping against hope that someone wasn't in there with them.

No, they were all alone.

But several swords as well as a shield were slowly being lifted into the air. Actually, as Merlin continued his ministrations, most everything seemed to rise from its place as if by magick.

"M-Mer…Merlin," Gwaine breathed, unable to express his concern and curiosity. Instead his hips jutted out, burying more of his length inside the servant's mouth. Panicking at first, his friend managed to relax his throat and focused on his own pleasure. The knight gave one more thrust into his mouth before he let loose a growl and came. His seed shot down the warlock's throat, regretfully nearly suffocating him. Merlin tore away, gasping for breath as he pumped himself to his own orgasm. When it finally began to roll over his body, all the floating objects instantly dropped to the floor in a unifying crash. He shuddered as he came, hardly caring that the last of Gwaine's hot cum was spurting onto his face.

"Merlin…Merlin," he murmured, "Merlin, what was that?" The warlock, as he fully regained his senses, realized that the entire room was now in disarray. Blue hues looked up, wondering how he could possibly explain this away from the truth.

It seemed for whatever this was turning into, it was only the beginning.


End file.
